Diaphragm for non-vestibule passenger-train cars.



HlSTlLLMAN. DIAPHRAGM FOR NON-VESTIBULE PASSENGER TRAIN CARS.

APPHCATION FILED SEPT- 9, 1915- MWJMQ. Patented Feb. 22,1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET l- INVENTOR H. STILLMAN.

DIAPHRAGM FOR NON-VESTIBULE PASSENGER mm ms.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 9, 191 5. LPZQJZQ Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

INVENT'OR phragms for Non-vestibule Passenger-Train orricEi.

HOWARD STILLMAN, OF BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

DIAPHRAGM FOR NON-VESTIBULE PASSENGER-TRAIN CARS.

Spetification of Letters Patent.

' Application filed September 9, 19:15. Serial He. 49,6855

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that 1,; HOWARD STELMAN, of Berkeley, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Dia- Cars, of which improvement the following is a specification.

v y In present standard-railroad practice,pas-

senger train cars for through or long distance service are generally, if not umversally, provided with end vestibules, compris-' ing a face platewhich abuts against a cor- 1 responding plate on an adjoining car, and

' tween the face plate andthe car en a flexible diaphragm of" the bellows type, formed of stoutcanvas and interposed be- These I flexible diaphragms extend vertically and also transversely overhead, in 0rd! to protect passengers from the weather when passing from one car to another of a train, andv provide for compression and relative movement of two cars when coupled together. 0n head end or baggage and mail cars, the abutting face plates are similarly combined with flexible diaphragms,.but it is not found necessary to extend them transversely for oyerhead protection, as there is but little assa 'e between these cars and such as w'thele is, is only by employees on duty on the cars. for purposes of robbery, etc, and so many diaphragms have been damaged in service that, on an important-railroad system, it has been considered advisable to remove them from head end cars. It is, however, desirable that a flexible protecting me-' dium for passage from car to car should, if

practicable, be applied, and the object of my invention is to provide a device of such char-' acter which shall be of simple and inexpensive construction and ready applicability, and be practically burglar proof.

The improvement claimed is hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings: .Figure'l is a side view, in elevation, of the adjoining e'ndportions of two head end or non-vestibule cars, illustrating an application of my invention; Fig. 2, a similar. vlew, on an en-' scale, taken on the line w w of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, in the practice of my invention each side of the vestibule face plate, 1, of a head end or non-vestibule passenger train car, A, which face plate; as heretofore, is adapted to abut against a corresponding plate on an adjoining car, B, is flexibly or yieldingly connected to the end framing, a, of the, car by an articulated metallic diaphragm, comprising two plates, 2 and 3, of suflicient thickness to afford substantial protection from penetration by a cutting instrument, as, say 3/32 inch steel, and hinges by which said plates are pivotally connected to the end frame of the carv and to the face plate, 1, respectively, and, at their adjoining ends, are similarly connected one to the other. The plates, 2 and 3, are

outwardly inclined, and disposed at substantially similar angles to the end frame and to the face plate, respectively, and therefore at an angle one to the other, and one of them, in the instance exemplified, the plate, 3, is madeslightly wider than the other, in order to cover the space at their meeting angle, as shown in Fig. 3.

Hinge straps, fl, preferably of malleable iron, each having a socket, 4e, on one of its ends, are secured to the face plate, 1, and similar straps, 5, each having a socket, 5, on one of its ends,- are secured. to the end frame, a, of the car. Hinge straps, 6, also preferably of malleable iron, having sockets, 6", on their opposite ends, areriveted tothe diaphragm plates, 1 and 2, the straps of one of the diaphragm plates, as 2, being pivotally' connected to the end frame straps, 5, by pins, 7, passing through the adjoining sockets, and the strapsof the other diaphragm plate, as 3, being similarly connected to those of the face plate, 1, by pins, 7*. The plates, 2 and 3, are pivotally' COIL", nected one to the other, by a rod, 8, passing through the sockets at the adjacent ends of the hinge straps, 6. It will be seen that Eatented Feb as, rare.

movement of-the diaphragm plates undertive vertical movement, due to inequalities in the track, the members of each pair of hinge straps, 6, of the diaphragm plates, 2 and 3, are spaced apart, vertlcally, one from another. In other words, each of the hinge straps of one diaphragm plate is disposed at a short distance above or below the com-' panion hinge strap of the other diaphragm plate.

My improvement is of substantial practical advantage, in rendering burglar proof, under the conditions of service, the space between two coupled cars, and preventing unauthorized entrance thereinto, as well as eliminating the cost of renewal of the ordinary canvas bellows type diaphragnis when mutilated by trespassers or thieves. It will,

Copies of this paten\ fdiaphragm plates, hinge straps secured to the face plate, hinge straps secured to the car end, and pivotal connections coupling the diaphragm plates, through the several hinge straps, one to the other and to the face plate and car end, respectively.

2. The combination, with a railroad car of a diaphragm face plate, two metallic diaphragm plates, hinge straps secured to sairl diaphragm plates, the opposite hinge plates being spaced apart vertically, hinge straps secured to the face plate, hinge straps secured to the car end, and pivotal connections between the car end straps and the straps of one of the diaphragm plates, between the face plate straps and those of the other diaphragm plate, and between the straps of the two diaphragm plates.

HOWVARD STILLMAN. lVitnesses W. S. UREN, H. H. HUMMEL. 

